Zero-Energy-Cost Home Relies on ICFs
Just off the Hudson River in New York, a beautiful home rests peacefully on a hillside. And while it might seem slightly bigger than most homes (3,160 square feet of finished space and 6,300 square feet of conditioned space), it leaves a footprint smaller than just about any other home in the state.

Built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) the home’s geothermal and photovoltaic technology helped it earn the highest Energy Star rating in the state (93.3). Bill Reilly, the owner of the home, says, "We have paid nothing for electricity since November 2005 when we moved in. Part of the reason is that we are able to re-sell the excess electricity we generate back to the utility company.”

The homebuilder, Sunshine Tartter of J.O.Y. Enterprises, adds, “One of the benefits of the ICF construction is that if the house had been stick-frame, the home would have needed three or four wells for the geothermal. They only have one!”

The Reillys discovered there was something else their ICF home could do for them. "Although we chose ICFs for their energy efficiency, sound attenuation was a real bonus. We're located on the Hudson River with a railroad track located between us and the river, 100 feet from the house. Two major rail lines use the tracks, so we have many trains coming through each day. We can barely hear the trains on the near side, and can't hear them at all on the far side."
Contact Jim Niehoff

Cement Consumption by User Group
Increases in 2nd Quarter 2006
North American cement consumption rose 2% in the second quarter of 2006 compared to the same period for 2005 according to the Second Quarter 2006 Survey of Portland Cement Consumption by User Group report recently released by PCA’s Market Research Department. Cement consumption for the second quarter of 2006 was 25,319,000 metric tons (mt). Ready-mixed concrete was the largest consumer with 72.8% of the market share, followed by brick and block (3.9%), all other consumers (3.7%), and precast (3.0%).The report includes a historical perspective of North American portland cement consumption by sixteen user groups for the past six years. Information on cement kiln dust (CKD) for soil-cement paving and waste solidification/stabilization projects was also reported.
Check it out at www.cement.org/market
Contact Madeline Krey

International Code Hearings Successful for PCA and Allies
Concrete and cement industries were able to positively influence the committees at the first hearing for proposed changes to the 2006 editions of the International Codes held recently in Orlando, Fla. One success occurred when the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) committee recommended disapproval of a proposal to require all commercial buildings to be constructed with an “air barrier system” for the exterior envelope of the building to further minimize air leakage. The “air barrier system” requirements could make constructing buildings using masonry walls more difficult and expensive thus less competitive than other wall systems like framed walls. The Portland Cement Association coordinated their testimony with the technical arguments provided by representatives of the Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards (MACS) represented by Ed Freyermuth (Arizona Masonry Guild), Cãnan Dàvela (Western Block Co.),Martha VanGeem (CTL), and Jason Thompson (NCMA).

Additionally the International Residential Code (IRC) committee took action to recommend approval of a PCA sponsored code change to expand the provisions for plaster and stucco construction to include the use of masonry cement, blended cements and plastic cements as options for the stucco mix. Though these materials could presently be accepted by a code official using the alternate materials section of the IRC, having the requirements placed directly into the body of the code simplifies their use.
Contact Steve Skalko

Concrete Countertop Conference planned for November 2006
The first ever concrete countertop industry conference will take place November 6-7, 2006 in Raleigh, N.C. Hosted by the Concrete Countertop Institute, the conference will bring together exhibitors and speakers representing all of the products and resources currently available for making concrete countertops.

The conference is geared to contractors who are interested in learning about all of the resources currently available for making concrete countertops. Admission will include educational seminars by industry experts on key topics ranging from getting started in concrete countertops to troubleshooting to a panel discussion of precast versus cast in place.
More at www.CCIC2006.com

8th International Conference on Concrete Block Paving
to be Held in San Francisco
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Foundation will hold the Eighth International Conference on Concrete Block Paving, November 6-8, 2006 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif. The conference theme “Sustainable Paving for the Future” speaks to the ability of segmental concrete pavements to address total environment design---ecological, energy, safety--and visual design needs for the 21st century. The conference will emphasize storm water management with permeable interlocking pavements, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and design for the disabled.

This conference is ideal for designers and specifiers of interlocking concrete pavements, permeable interlocking concrete pavements, grid pavements, and concrete paving slabs for residential, commercial, municipal, industrial, port and airport applications. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Foundation is a sister association to the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and the Small Element Paving Technologists (SEPT).
More at /www.icpiconferences.org

As a member of the technical sub-committee, VanGeem will be helping to qualify the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system as an official standard under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting procedures of standards developing organizations. These groups work cooperatively to develop voluntary national consensus standards.
Contact Martha VanGeem

Results From Last Week:
Engineers Call the Shots on Buildings
Rate the influence of the following decision-makers over the selection of concrete vs. steel as the structural framing system of low-, mid-, and high-rise buildings.
(1=not very influential; 5=extremely influential)

• Engineer: 3.52
• Architect: 3.24
• Owner/developer: 3.05
• Construction manager: 2.41
• Contractor: 2.36
  

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